Thieves steal priceless WWII diary from Silver Sands home

However, his daughter Helen Craig is fearing she might have lost them forever, after thieves broke into the Silver Sands family home and stole a handful of priceless historical items from the home’s safe on Friday.

Ms Craig was coming home after running some errands on Friday afternoon when she noticed someone had broken into the home through the kitchen window. 

“I just think I went into a bit of a shock,” she said.

Her initial fear was that the thieves were still inside the house, however after an extensive check through the property she realised they had already left and they taken one thing with them; a small safe bolted into the wall.

“At first I just though it looked like that’s all they've taken and they didn't mess up the house,” she said.

“So I thought that's OK.”

But her heart sank when she realised her father’s hand-written war diary was inside, together with several other historical objects such as coins, medallions and a fob watch which belonged to her grandfather.

“My father passed away in December 11, 2012, he was 92 at the time, it just brings back those memories,” she said.

“I was the custodian for the family looking after it.

“We had signer rings and other bits and pieces and medallions in there but that can be replaced.

“But the war diary can't.”

Ms Craig has taken to social media to spread the word about the incident, hoping that someone will return the diary safe and sound.

She is also offering $500 to anyone who hands in the diary, no questions asked.

“If they [the thieves] do discard it or try to sell it or anybody just happens to find it under a bush or something maybe someone can bring it in somewhere that it can find it's way back to me,” she said.

“That's the only thing I can hope for.”

The diary is a hand-written notebook the size of a hand with fown cloth covers. It could have 1942 written on the cover.

Among the stolen items there’s an ANZAC 60^th anniversary commemorative coin, and a silver fob watch with the engraved initials SMS.  

If you have any information about the diary or any of the stolen items call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.